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One of the ideas that I was contemplating for my Valentines day meal was a mushroom risotto and although I did not go with it, it has been stuck in my mind and I just had to make it. Risotto is an Italian rice dish that is cooked with ingredients and technique designed to produce an extremely creamy bowl of down right comfort food. Although the technique is not difficult, it does require some time as you add the liquids half a cup by half a cup while stirring constantly. This means that you are going to be at the stove actively doing something for about a half an hour, but the final result is so worth it. The very fact that this dish takes some effort makes it perfect for special occasions where you want to show that you care.

Risotto is primarily about the rice and to get that nice and creamy finish you want a higher starch rice. Medium and short grained rice generally have a higher starch content and some of the favoured rices include arborio and carnaroli. For this mushroom risotto I wanted to really enjoy the mushrooms so I started with some dried porcini mushrooms as dried mushrooms pack a ton of flavour. Next I sauteed some wild mushrooms including cremini, shiitake and oyster which I cut into large slices so that I would be able to enjoy their texture. Next up was a homemade chicken stock for even more flavour and the whole thing was finished off with some good quality parmigiano reggiano.

One thing that I did not mention yet is that the first liquid that you add to a risotto is an alcohol and it is commonly a wine. The wine can be white or red and it really just depends on the flavours in the risotto and your tastes. I figured that a nice bright and fruity chardonnay would go perfectly with the mushroom risotto to complement and cut through its creaminess. In my continuing effort to discover more about local wines I went with a chardonnay from here in Ontario that I found with the help of Wine Country Ontario. Once you have cracked open that bottle of wine for use in the risotto, the next half an hour while you are cooking and stirring the risotto is the perfect opportunity to enjoy a glass.

Directions:
1. Cover the dried porcini mushrooms in the stock and let sit for 20-30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a pan over medium heat.
3. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
4. Add the fresh mushrooms and saute until they turn tender and release their moisture, about 10-15 minutes.
5. Add the garlic and thyme and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
6. By this time the dried mushrooms should be nice and soft so remove them from the stock, squeezing to drain and reserve all of the liquid.
7. Chop the reconstituted mushrooms and add them to the sauce pan.
8. Add the rice and toast until it starts to turn translucent, about 1-3 minutes.
9. Add the white wine, deglaze the bottom of the pan and cook while stirring until the wine has disappeared.
10. Mix the stock that the mushrooms were soaked in with another cup of stock and add it to the sauce pan 1/2 cup at a time while stirring until it has disappeared.
11. Add the butter and parmigiano reggiano and stir until it has melted.
12. Season with salt and pepper and a touch of truffle oil.
13. Serve garnished with parsley.

I have an Italian friend who thought it strange that I would put garlic in a mushroom risotto. Have you heard this before, as I would have though garlic was an essential part of the dish? I do love a good risotto!

Hi! I have really been enjoying your blog, so I added you to my list of "foodie blog shoutouts" on my own blog! I have a great group of dedicated readers that really enjoy the recipes I post (which includes you sometimes!), but I can't possibly link all of the ones you have that make my mouth water. If you have a page of other blogs you enjoy, I'd love to be on it (if you enjoy my blog as well). Thanks again for the wonderful recipes!

I wish I had that recipe a few days ago :) A good old friend of mine came to visit me from Australia, and she mentioned she really loves mushroom risotto... I would have made yours immediately for her! Not that I'm not going to try it really soon now that she's gone ;)... But it's always better when shared :) Anyway, amazingly looking risotto!

What a great picture; I'm sure it tasted even better! Ironic timing too, I posted a mushroom risotto recipe at the same time. Although mine was "risotto style", made with barley so it has a healthier spin.The mushroom bug must be in the air!

It's amazing what a little porcini mushroom can do to a dish! Mark Bittman in one of his books has a very simple mushroom stir fry recipe, and he secret is adding just a little bit of porcini to the mix.

It takes the dish to another level, and I'm sure your risotto is outstanding...

I know it sounds crazy, but if you cook orzo as if it was risotto. i know it sounds stupid and crazy, but the store i went to only had orzo so i did a risotto recipe with orzo instead of arbole, and it was a million times superior.

Great recipe, but it I can contribute my two cents with regard to all of the stirring? I make differing risottos on our gas grill 2-3 times a week. I personally prefer it without the wine, as that's a little too acrid for me. I use 32 ounces of chicken stock to 1 cup arborio rice. I almost always use shallots, leeks and chopped mushroom stems in the base, but very the veggies greatly. (Spinach, cauliflower and kale are favorites - and I use A LOT- a cup or two!!)

I do not bother to pre-heat the stock and I add it one cup at a time. I don't even come CLOSE to constant stirring - maybe twice with each stock addition, and it comes out GREAT.

Same as Linda B, I prefer my risottos without the wine as I'm not a fan of alcohol. I changed the ratios a bit, and mostly followed your recipe. It worked very well and I am now a total risotto convert.

Once again, another recipe of yours that I have been eating for sometime! I love it, but I must say my husband loves it more. I made it again for Valentine's Day, but adjusted it accordingly (no dried mushrooms, and I find I usually need an extra cup of broth.) Thanks so much again for this awesome recipe!

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About Me

I came to realize that my meals were boring and that I had been eating the same few dishes over and over again for years. It was time for a change! I now spend my free time searching for, creating and trying tasty new recipes in my closet sized kitchen.